Donald Trump U-turn as Mike Pence tells EU leaders America is 'strongly committed' to partnership
US President previously described Brexit as ‘a great thing’ and suggested EU could soon fall apart
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Your support makes all the difference.US President Donald Trump is strongly committed to working with the European Union, Vice President Mike Pence has said.
Mr Pence reassured European leaders about Mr Trump’s foreign policy direction after comments made during his campaign, when he described Brexit as “a great thing” and suggested the EU could soon fall apart.
“Today is my privilege on behalf of President Trump to express the strong commitment of the United States to continue cooperation and partnership with the European Union,” Mr Pence said after meeting with European Council President Donald Tusk.
“Whatever our differences, our two continents share the same heritage, the same values and, above all, the same purpose to promote peace and prosperity through freedom, democracy and the rule of law. And to those objectives we will remain committed,” he added.
His came after Mr Tusk told the press briefing “too many new and sometimes surprising opinions have been voiced ... for us to pretend that everything is as it used to be”.
Earlier this month, Mr Tusk called the US President an existential threat to Europe in an open letter to leaders of the 27 member states.
However, today Mr Tusk said: “I heard words which are promising for the future, words which explain a lot about the new approach in Washington.”
He added: “We are counting as always in the past on the United States’ wholehearted and unequivocal – let me repeat, unequivocal – support for the idea of a united Europe.
“The world would be a decidedly worse place if Europe were not united.”
Mr Pence said he was looking to explore ways to “deepen our relationship with the European Union and the European community” as he opened a day of meetings on the EU and Nato with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Brussels.
Over the weekend, Mr Pence also voiced the administration's strong support for Nato, which Mr Trump branded “obsolete”.
Mr Tusk said: “The idea of Nato is not obsolete, just like the values which lie at its foundation are not obsolete.”
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